Accuracy International AWSM
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 686 mm
- Weight, empty
- 6.80 kg
- Introduced
- 1996
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Accuracy International AWSM (Arctic Warfare Super Magnum) is a British bolt-action sniper rifle chambered primarily in .338 Lapua Magnum, developed from the Arctic Warfare family to bridge the range gap between 7.62mm sniper rifles and .50 BMG anti-materiel rifles. Built around an aluminium chassis with a flat-bottomed action bedded to it, it feeds from a 5-round detachable box magazine and delivers sub-0.5 MOA accuracy with an effective range beyond 1,500 metres. The British military adopted it as the L115 long-range rifle series.
A British Army L115A3 built on the AWSM platform held the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill for years after Craig Harrison downed two Taliban machine-gunners at 2,475 metres in Helmand Province in 2009 - shots that travelled for nearly three seconds before impact.
The AWSM is the .338 Lapua Magnum member of the Arctic Warfare Magnum line (the AWM being offered in .300 Winchester Magnum and 7mm Remington Magnum). It forms the basis of the British L115A1/A3, with which Corporal of Horse Craig Harrison set a then-record confirmed kill at 2,475 m in Afghanistan in 2009.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Accuracy International
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1996
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 686 mm
- Overall length
- 1270 mm
- Weight, empty
- 6.80 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Rotating bolt
- Trigger
- Two stage
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Barrel
- Stainless steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Matte
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 900 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 6570 J
- Effective range
- 1500 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Aluminium chassis
Folding stock
Adjustable cheekpiece
Adjustable buttpad
Integral bipod mount
Muzzle brake
Picatinny scope rail
Free floating barrel
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 39 .338 Lapua Magnum sniper rifles | 6.80 kg | 6.53 kg | Heavier than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 37 .338 Lapua Magnum sniper rifles | 1270 mm | 1230 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 39 .338 Lapua Magnum sniper rifles | 686 mm | 686 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 39 .338 Lapua Magnum sniper rifles | 5 | 5 | Holds fewer rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Accuracy International AWSM
How much does the Accuracy International AWSM weigh?
The Accuracy International AWSM weighs 6.80 kg (14.99 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Accuracy International AWSM?
The Accuracy International AWSM is chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum.
How many rounds does the Accuracy International AWSM hold?
The Accuracy International AWSM holds 5 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Accuracy International AWSM?
The Accuracy International AWSM is 1270 mm (50.0 in) long overall, with a 686 mm (27.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Accuracy International AWSM?
The Accuracy International AWSM is made by Accuracy International (United Kingdom). It was designed by Malcolm Cooper.
When was the Accuracy International AWSM introduced?
The Accuracy International AWSM was introduced in 1996.
How does the Accuracy International AWSM operate?
The Accuracy International AWSM uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is rotating bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- British Army
- 1997
- Netherlands Armed Forces
- Netherlands
- Australian Army
- Australia
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/accuracy-international-awsm' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "accuracy-international-awsm", "name": "Accuracy International AWSM", "manufacturer": { "id": "accuracy-international", "name": "Accuracy International", "countryCode": "GB", "foundedYear": 1978, "website": "https://www.accuracyinternational.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:34", "version": "866df02489fa366bae9eb49362c9e929d73f7a1c5456d99b5727d9c049063c47" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "GB", "year_introduced": 1996, "barrel_length_mm": 686, "weight_empty_g": 6800, "action_type": "bolt_action"}